It is difficult to describe the picture these youngsters made,
marching up the stairs on tip toe. They marched through ward
after ward in solemn silence. The wounded, who had never
wept——over their wounds, their suffering, their feebleness——
their eyes filled with shining tears as they watched the little
parade—fists raised high.

We who followed, we too were moved. Finally they could
keep silent no longer and in hushed voices their whispered
greeting echoed through the ward: "‘Salud, comrades!”

mocracy turned to each other and through tear stained smiles
declared: “This is the new generation. What a beautiful future
lies ahead. Just wait until they grow up.”

And it is because we want to help them grow into the splen-
did people they will become with their heritage of heroism,
self-sacrifice, readiness to die for freedom and democracy, that
we of the American International Labor Defense wish to do
all in our power to contribute support to the Spanish people.

Immediately after the outbreak of the fascist rebellion against
the democratically elected government of the People’s Front in
Spain, as soon as it was clear that the battle would be\long
and hard, the International Labor Defense despatched a cable
to our sister section in Spain, asking what we could do to be
of the greatest assistance to the Spanish people.

On September 29 we received the following cable:

“ILDUSA

We received your cable please send us 2,000,000 units of
insulin, anti-tetanus serum, blood-transfusion apparatus.”

Our task was clear. The best manner in which we could aid
the defenders of democracy in Spain was by collecting and
sending them medical supplies. This request came directly to
us—before the Medical Bureau of the F reinds of Spanish De-
mocracy was organized. It is this group which now coordinates
the sending of all medical aid from the United States to Spain.

We communicated with medical men, with medical supply

27

In every ward, in every room, the wounded fighters for de-'